Day 1. all images and text copyright and courtesy of A. and C. Thompson. Day 2

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1 Day 1 After loading our boats we departed Yeppoon about 11.30am, the wind was blowing from the south at around 10 knots, Glen Hughs paddled with us to Farnborough beach boat ramp where he left us, he was supposed to be coming with us, but due to illness he was not well enough to complete the trip. We continued north past Corio Bay, where the waves of around metres were breaking well out from the bay. We landed on 9 mile beach around 3.30pm after a paddle of about 29 klm where we camped the night. The campsite was home for swarms of blood draining mosquitos and the peaceful night was periodically interrupted by several fishermen driving their 4wds onto the beach. all images and text copyright and courtesy of A. and C. Thompson Day 2 We decamped around 8.50am, the wind was from the south east around knots, with swells of around 1.5 metres and slightly choppy. After about 13 klm we stopped for lunch at Five Rocks. An unusual formation, the rock shelf appears similar to a man made breakwater. After lunch the wind picked up to around 15 knots, so we hoisted the sails and hardly paddled, at one stage we rafted up with Sharon who was slightly concerned, this was only her third outing in her new boat that Richard had made and she was still getting used to it. After another 12 klm we arrived at Freshwater Bay, a fellow from a yacht moored in the bay made himself known to us and guess what, he is a good friend of Kerrie's and she went on board for a chat, and returned with a few fillets of fresh mackerel for dinner. Freshwater Bay is a beautiful place with long sandy beaches and dense bush right down to the high tide mark. We lit a fire and cooked the fish on a barbecue and enjoyed a nice glass or two of fine wine, Cindy and Ian had a discussion about the satellite phone which was not working, both of them offering opinions as to what was wrong with the phone. The moon was only two days away from a full moon and so illuminated the campsite in a soft glow, the company is great, the conversation stimulating, the fire is still burning, the stories are getting funnier and more interesting by the minute. Cindy tried some freeze dried strawberry ice cream, not a great idea, we won't be trying that one again.

2 Day 3 Fine and sunny, seas metres, choppy & sloppy, winds about knots, we stopped for lunch at a beautiful beach just around from Cape Clinton, where we saw several dolphins put on a show for us, leaping clear of the water in a seemingly effortless manner. Kerrie went for a walk and came back with a lifebuoy and told Sharon that she should carry it with her in case of difficulties. After lunch, we attempted the crossing of Port Clinton at the bottom of the tide, across to Perforated Point, it was quite interesting, the sea was confused and choppy and the wind was still blowing at around 15 knots, it would be a very dangerous place indeed in any worse conditions. After paddling about 23 klms we arrived at Pearl Bay, the scenery on the paddle around into the bay is absolutely magnificent, heavily forested down to the beach, and the rocky islands are just superb covered in pine trees. We arrived at our campsite about 4pm and struggled to carry our boats up above the high tide mark about 70 metres away, we set up camp under the trees with a magnificent view out to the islands. We are currently sitting around the campfire, tea was a freeze dried meal of steak & pasta accompanied by a glass of red, followed by fruit cake, life is so hard.

3 Day 4 Woke up early, tried fishing off the beach for a while, Ian trolled a lure around the islands, no fish for breakfast. It is a lay day today, everyone is drying out their gear. Kerrie's mighty Mirage is in dry dock, some fibreglass repairs to the mast step I have just called the army and logged in for the day, Ian, Kerrie and Richard have just left and are trolling lures in an attempt to catch a feed and I am going to fish off the rocks for a while. I managed to catch a small trevally off the rocks and nearly trod on a stingray, Ian and Richard had no luck, Kerrie however lost 2 lures, one to a mackerel (well above legal size according to Kerrie). The other lost lure was to a shark, species unknown about 2 metres long, after biting off the lure it came back for another look at Kerrie and her Mirage and decided that it did not want to mess with a starving woman. We have decided that this trip is only a recce for a longer trip, so as to enjoy the full potential that this place has to offer. We are currently sitting beside the fire taking bets as to whether the tide will swamp the fire like it did last night (it was quite dramatic with sparks shooting everywhere). As it turns out the tide stopped about 1 metre short of the fire. Day 5 After breakfast, everyone except for Sharon paddled to the nearby islands only a couple of kilometres from the beach, they are rocky outcrops, sheer cliffs covered in pine trees, very dramatic. After a break on the only small beach on one of the islands, Richard paddled back to camp, the rest of us paddled over to Dome and Split islands, 4 klms further out. These two islands are without doubt the highlights of the trip so far, absolutely magnificent soaring sheer cliffs, caves and tunnels through Split island, one of which you can paddle two kayaks through side by side. The cave is about 70 metres long, the roof appears to be about 20 metres high, with what looks like a stalactite hanging from the arching cathedral like ceiling with water dripping from the ceiling and cave walls. The water changing colour from a translucent aqua through to a deep dark bluegreen, the walls of the cave covered in oysters, the wave swells lifting and lowering you gently over a metre or so. The sounds of our laughter and exclamations of sheer pleasure reverberated off the walls. The sounds emanating from several of the caves and holes in the rocks was awesome, it was primeval, growling & grumbling with a deep resonating rumble, evoking images of a slumbering dragon.

4 The general consensus is that today has been one of the best days paddling any of us has ever experienced. One of the quotes "this is better than sex" has been hotly debated but it is a close call. We returned for lunch and assessed our water situation - not good, we have enough water for a couple of days only, the places where there is supposed to be fresh water have shown that there was water at one time, but due to the ongoing drought, the sources have dried up. There is supposed to be water at Pinetrees Point, our destination. A yacht has just entered the bay, so Richard and I have loaded up the double with empty water bottles and paddled over and thankfully they have water to spare, so we filled our bottles up and now have enough water for another couple of days. We are leaving this morning and will return to Dome andsplit islands to allow Richard & Sharon to enjoy the thrills and excitement that we experienced this morning. The days events are currently being digested beside the fire with the aid a glass or two of wine and nibblies. Day 6 We were up at sunrise and paddled over to Dome & Split Islands for another look and the first for Richard and Sharon. Everyone is in agreement that these islands are just awesome and words just can't do them justice and they are a definite must see. We then paddled further 7 klm out to the Clara islands, which are just as majestic, Richard and Ian paddled through a narrow tunnel (the tunnel of death), with just enough room to get a single kayak through, not enough room for a double kayak unfortunately. According to Ian and Richard, the tunnel was so narrow that they had to execute a roll to emerge from the tunnel, although they looked suspiciously dry, no sign immersion being evident. Both of them are slightly prone to exaggeration so we will take that claim with a grain of salt. Once again there is a deep rumble resonating from the bowels of the island, what an awesome sound. We were trolling a lure near the island and were promptly bitten off even though we were using a wire trace, there are a lot of toothy critters out here.

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6 We then continued our paddle/sail in a 10 knot south easterly on past Island Head, the scenery still superb, we saw two yachts anchored inside the bay. After about 5 hours and 24 klms in the kayaks we arrived at Pinetrees Point, it is well named as stands of pine trees dominate the ridge tops and the rocks being a pale pink colour contrasting superbly with the translucent aqua of the water. After setting up camp we searched for water and located a small creek as shown on the map, unfortunately, due to the continuing drought the creek was dry, although the bed was damp. We followed the creek and noticed camel prints in the sand, we followed the creek and camel prints to a small rock pool at the base of a large rock. The water was not flowing but it was fresh. We reported the find to the others and Kerrie and Sharon wandered off to get some water to wash in. Day 7 After breakfast we walked back to the waterhole & filled our water bottles and proceeded to boil it so we could drink it, a little concerned about the camel drinking from it. I climbed up onto the headland and managed to contact Thirsty Sound Coastguard on the VHF and told then we were going to paddle through Strong Tide Passage tomorrow and received a favourable weather report of knot nor-easter. We have just finished a light lunch and Richard has gone for a paddle. Cindy has just administered some first aid to a cut on my foot that has become quite sore and also attended to a similar cut on Ian's foot. The weather has been overcast all day and has now started to drizzle, only nuisance rain, thank goodness for the tarp that we have erected over our eating area. We have been watching some whales frolicking about 200 metres out from us, they have been breaching and we think there is a mother and calf sheltering in the bay, as it is fairly choppy outside, We are currently sitting under the tarp with a fire blazing out the front supplying warmth and comfort with the glowing embers and flames caressing the driftwood. We are collecting water caught by the tarp, it is surprising how little rain can produce so much water. This trip has turned out to be very much a gourmet kayak trip, the amount and variation of food has to be seen to be believed. We have just completed another feast and are now contemplating the meaning of life as we gaze into the glowing coals of the fire. We have just heard the weather forecast for tomorrow, not too flash, rain heading our way instead of the intermittent showers of today with the wind picking up to knots, Strong Tide Passage here we come. Day 8 Up at 6am, superb pink sunrise over Pinetrees Point. We left the beach around 8am, overcast, light showers, 10 knot north easterly, 1 metre

7 slight chop. We sailed to Strong Tide Passage, a distance of about 6 klms, the tide was about 2 hours into the flood, with a light chop with definite current lines evident. Richard & Sharon cut in a bit close and went on the inside of the passage, passing very close to some rocks, the rest of us took it a bit wider around the outside of the rocks, no problems. With the sails up we fairly flew down the passage, which is around 8 klms long, enjoying the views, it was mind boggling looking at and contemplating the volume of water that flows into and out of this channel, apparently the volume equivalent to Sydney Harbour. We continued sailing around the bottom of Townshend island and stopped for a break, just to say that we have landed on Townshend island, which is the site of many army exercises. We then continued north to Marquis island, Cindy & I had our double under full sail and were absolutely flying, we were just sitting back enjoying the ride, we were looking for a campsite on Marquis, we couldn't see any, so we crossed over a small channel to an unnamed island and set up camp, after paddling a distance of about 20 klms. I have attempted to contact the army several times on the satellite phone, no-one is home, so I gave it a miss, I also tried to contact Glen on the VHF, as he said that if he was feeling better, he would paddle from Stanage Bay and meet us here. Ian and Kerrie have been trolling lures all day, Ian caught a mackerel which we have just had for lunch, both Kerrie & Ian have lost several lures with the traces being bitten off ( the toothy critters are all around). We have moved the boats above the high tide mark and lit the fire and had dinner. We are sitting here commenting on how quiet it is, no wind, no wave noise, nothing, dead quiet apart from a couple of curlews further up the island. We have just realised why it is so quiet, there is no water in sight, we have walked a couple of hundred metres away from the camp, still no water, it is amazing, nothing but puddles. Cindy has just taken a photo of a small turtle having a sleep on the sand. We have no idea what time we can leave tomorrow, however we are keenly aware that we need to be out of the area by midnight tomorrow night so that the army can play. Day 9 Up early, the camp clown woke us up at 5am to say that there was enough water to leave, however a closer inspection revealed that Kerrie was only dreaming, so we went back to bed. Up again at 7am and noticed that the tide was coming in oh so slowly, we started to pack up when the weather closed in, showery and cold, we put the tarp up and had breakfast, the wind chill factor made it quite cold. We eventually left around 11am for Collins island, we had an extremely slow paddle, due no doubt to the lack of local knowledge in relation to the tidal/current flows as we appeared to make one big loop on the way to Collins island. We observed several whales breaching & rolling around showing us their white bellies and waving their fins in the air. After paddling for about three and a half hours we decided to land on one of the beaches on the southern side of Collins island instead of the northern side as it was getting late and we had done enough paddling for the day, having covered at least 16km but more likely around 25 klm allowing for drifting off course due to the currents. We have set up camp and hung all our gear out in an attempt to dry things out as everything got wet when we packed up this morning, the view back toward Leicester island and the mainland is superb. We have just finished our dinners and the candle is casting a soft glow in our camp kitchen set up under the tarp. The mosquitos are driving us mad, Ian has gone to bed and I won't be far behind him. Day 10 We awake to find that the wind has not abated and the rain is imminent, I have contacted the Coastguard and they tell me that the forecast is for knots south west to southerly for the next 3 days. We all have breakfast, the showers are increasing and it is freezing, we crawl back into our tents in a feeble attempt to warm up. I emerge 2 hours later, the drizzle has stopped so I go for a walk along the southern side of the island, not much to see, rocks and small pebbly beaches, it appears as if we have been fortunate to land where we have the most protection (not much) from the elements. I return to the camp to find everyone else still ensconced in their nylon cocoons, Richard emerges and we boil some water for a cup of soup, the others apart from Kerrie stay inside their tents. We have just constructed a small fire under the pandanus and have managed light it despite the kindling being damp, it is providing a visual and physical comfort on an otherwise bleak day.

8 Kerrie is presently doing her homework, Richard is gathering timber, Cindy, Ian and Sharon are, we think in their tents - not willing to come out. The drizzle has stopped, the wind had dropped slightly and there are once again 6 of us up and about and fantasising about hot showers & fast food and alcohol, although not necessarily in that order. It looks like we will be going on our last leg tomorrow, the lure of fast food and showers is too great. Kerrie and Richard have just returned after a paddle circumnavigating the island, the scenery is apparently very nice, sandy beaches and crystal clear water. We are currently sitting in front of the fire mellowing with a glass of wine, having completed dinner, Kerrie is making some custard & Ian is boiling the rice for desert. Day 11 Out of bed, not so cold today, a very light southerly is blowing, so much for the forecast. We depart at 8.45am, a speedy 7klm paddle to Lingham island where we stopped to assess the tidal and current situation. After a team meeting it was decided to head straight to the mainland at what appeared to be Broome Head. Cindy and I, Kerrie and Sharon leave first, and after 25 minutes decide that the conditions are favourable to continue, Ian and Richard caught up to us and we kept on for the mainland. Richard, Sharon and Ian became separated from us and the distance kept on increasing, Rather than try and catch them, Cindy and I in the double, stay with Kerrie, and the other three continued on together, and to our chagrin, we lost sight of them. We continued on, making progress ever so slowly, we eventually reached the mainland around 2pm and continued on up the coast toward Stanage Bay, about this time Kerrie had another encounter with a toothy critter, a shark about 4 metres long came right alongside her kayak and had a good look at her before swimming off, Kerrie's tiredness was forgotten and we paddled away very quickly and very much together. The wind picked up to around 15 knots allowing us to sail, and, unbeknownst to us, we sailed past our mates who had landed on the mainland about 40 minutes before us, saw us sail past and paddled out to join us on the last 500 metres into Stanage Bay, having paddled a minimum of 36 klm. It was a relief to all of us when we landed, after carrying the gear up to the camping area and quickly erecting our tents, we picked up the car and shuttled everyone to the hotel for several beers, hamburgers & chips. We had a fun couple of hours at the hotel with some of the locals, one of whom told us that there were two opposing currents on the crossing from Collins island to the mainland, this explains why we became separated so quickly. Lessons learnt/reinforced Stay together Have marine charts as well as topographic maps Do compass bearings of projected courses on maps Use the GPS more often